Mercury spoil Aces' 'super-cool' ring ceremony with blowout win - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces got their 2025 WNBA championship rings before Saturday afternoon's season opener at T-Mobile Arena. But then the Aces' bling day turned into a blowout for the Phoenix Mercury.

The Mercury, who were swept by the Aces in the WNBA Finals last year, won 99-66, the largest margin of victory in a season opener for Phoenix. It was also the largest margin of defeat by a defending champion in its season opener in WNBA history.

«I hate ceremonies like this,» Aces star A'ja Wilson said. «Obviously, you want to enjoy it, but there's a whole business side of the issue to take care of. It's hard to compartmentalize that at times. I wish we could do [a ceremony] afterward. It's just very hard to separate the emotions — on both sides.»

Wilson said she expected the Mercury to be especially motivated Saturday, comparing it to how she and the Aces have felt in the past when they lost in the playoffs.

"[For] Phoenix, we know what it's like to have a long offseason," Wilson said. «You're just like, 'I don't care who's in front of us this first game, we have to redeem ourselves.' That played a huge factor.»

Wilson, who won her fourth season MVP and second Finals MVP last year, led the Aces with 19 points. Jackie Young added 12 points, and NaLyssa Smith finished with 11 points. Chennedy Carter, the No. 4 pick in 2020 who played with Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago but was out of the WNBA last year, had 10 points in her first game with the Aces.

Phoenix guard Jovana Nogic had 19 points in her WNBA debut. The 28-year-old from Serbia has played a lot professionally overseas. The WNBA has always had international players, but the new collective bargaining agreement signed in March established more appealing